Why Marijuana is not fit for your health

This eye-opening statistic supports the importance of developing interventions that target people in young adulthood, which is the prime time when marijuana is being introduced and habits are forming.

But in order for experts to develop effective interventions, they need to understand exactly why young adults use marijuana.

Based on research, here are some possible reasons why a young adult may smoke or ingest marijuana:

Due to the fact that there are few research studies examining the detrimental health effects of long-term marijuana use, some people perceive marijuana as “harmless,” potentially making it more appealing than tobacco or other illicit drugs.

However, there are both psychological and physical health effects of using marijuana. Short-term use of marijuana may lead to memory and thinking problems, loss of coordination, anxiety, and altered senses.

Long-term marijuana use has been found to increase a person’s heart rate, increase their risk for lung infections, weaken their immune system, and be associated with temporary hallucinations and paranoia.

In addition, compared to people who do not use marijuana, those who use it report poorer physical and mental health, more relationship problems, and lower life satisfaction.

Lastly, marijuana use can develop into a substance abuse disorder, and with severe use, can lead to addiction.

Availability is a key factor when it comes to marijuana use in young adults.

Unfortunately for a growing number of today’s young adults, obtaining marijuana is becoming even easier, as more states make it legal for medical and recreational use.

Having the opportunity to smoke also contributes to the increased use of marijuana, especially in college-aged students where there are less adult supervision and more privacy.

In fact, according to the National College Health Assessment, nearly 40 percent of college students have tried marijuana, and marijuana use increases during the college years, with more college seniors using marijuana than college freshmen.

According to a study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, besides the reasons mentioned above, young people may also use marijuana to feel good, ease boredom, relieve tension or frustration, seek deeper insights, escape problems, or to increase (or decrease) the effects of other drugs.

A young adult’s motivation for using marijuana matters because it influences whether or not they may go on to have problems with marijuana, like a substance abuse disorder. For instance, a motive like experimentation is linked to less marijuana use and fewer future marijuana problems, whereas using marijuana to cope is a strong predictor of marijuana problems in the future.

In the end, gaining knowledge about young adults’ motivations to using marijuana is the first step to developing effective strategies for preventing marijuana use in the first place, and stopping use if a person has already begun.

Was it helpful?